TAD ’10: Phobia 2

Last year, four Thai directors terrified audiences with their anthology of scary stories titled 4bia. This year, three of the filmmakers return (with one new one) to Toronto After Dark Film Festival with the equally terrifying sequel Phobia 2.

TAD ’08: 4bia (Phobia)

Horror anthologies are great because it’s like getting four separate movies in one package.

Last year, two of the directors (Banjong Pisanthanakun and Parkpoom Wongpoom) won the Toronto After Dark audience choice award for the eerie feature Alone. This year, they’re creeping out audiences in their individual directorial debuts with Youngyooth Thongkonthun and Paween Purikitpanya, bringing not just one but four tales of terror to the big screen.

In “Happiness,” an isolated young woman receives a mysterious text message from a stranger seeking companionship. But as their conversations continue, his familiarity with her personal life becomes unsettling.

In “Tit for Tat,” a group of teens regularly torment a classmate until one day it goes too far. Then the bullied boy seeks revenge through black magic.

In “In the Middle,” four guys are on a camping trip in the jungle when an accident occurs. But when they return to camp, they begin to wonder if everyone actually survived the mishap.

In “Last Fright,” a stewardess is scheduled to accompany the body of a princess on her final flight but her highness turns out to be a demanding passenger.

“Happiness” is genuinely spine-chilling. The build-up is friendly but the conclusion is horrifying. The atmosphere of the final act of the segment turns very cold but the source remains terrifyingly untraceable.

“Tit for Tat” is the least captivating of the pieces. Its premise is good but the execution is lacking. It even fails to deliver a really good scare; the very last shot of the chapter particularly falls short.

“In the Middle” is the most entertaining tale of the anthology. It is simultaneously goofy and scary. But be warned, there are some spoiler if you have yet to see The Others, The Sixth Sense or the filmmakers other film Shutter.

“Last Fright” had its moments but it’s plot twist is fairly predictable. There is only one moment that truly elicits a jump but sometimes that can be enough.

Overall, this collection is a treat. It samples several types of horror but with a Thai flavour. All the elements of fright, including lighting, special effects and plot turns, are spot on.